Listening

There is an old story of the three blind men, who are led to an elephant. Each in turn grasps a different part of the elephant and proceeds to describe an animal that is quite different. This is not unlike the purchasing, maintenance and operations personnel of a department describing a system problem. When concerns of cash flow and capital cost are also considered, it doesn't take much of an imagination to see how one person's solution is another person's headache.

The one single thing that has contributed most to the success of our company is our ability to listen. It is only through listening that we are able to discern the difference between symptoms and the real problem. By sitting down with all the personnel involved, we are often able to find a solution that meets everyone's needs. In the instances where a universally acceptable solution is not possible, our discussions have proved invaluable in making personnel aware of the factors and priorities that have led to the final solution.